HopeLight Drabbles
by Cissmoll
Summary: Short stories about our favorite OTP. [No. 6] The visions didn't give her the power to change the future. All they did was to give her the opportunity to watch him die, over and over again.
1. Christmas

**Just a little extra chapter for all of you still following this story. God jul, merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of you.  
>(this one used to be in the LR fic, but it didn't really fit in, so I'm posting it as a drabble thingy instead.)<br>**

"This is not funny," Lightning hissed. "Stop laughing."

"I thought you said you were going to decorate the Christmas tree, not _become _the Christmas tree," Hope said, trying to stifle his laugh but failing miserably.

"Ha-ha," Lightning said sarcastically, pulling at the glitter garlands covering her body. "Still not funny."

Lightning had taken on the task of decorating the Christmas tree this year, and she'd definitely underestimated the pine tree's height. Too proud to ask for help, she'd simply fetched a chair and worked her way up. It had all gone surprisingly well – until she'd tried to wind a long glitter garland around the top of the tree. She'd stood on her tiptoes on the chair, lost her balance and fallen right into the tree. She'd managed to catch the tree before it fell over, but it had left her completely entangled in the glitter garland and covered in pine needles. Then, of course, Hope had strolled into the living room.

"You're only making it worse," Hope said, still laughing. "Let me help." He began to unwind the garland, and Lightning was soon freed from the glitter.

"Thanks," Lightning muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed. She reached out for the garland, intending to continue the tree decorating, but Hope held it out of her reach.

"Wait a second." Hope grabbed a pair of scissors from the coffee table, cut off a half meter of the garland and tied the ends together. He then placed the glitter circlet on Lightning's head.

"A halo for my angel," he said with a grin. Lightning blushed at his cheesiness, just like he knew she would. Hope's grin widened, and he pulled out his cellphone from his jeans pocket. "Your cuteness is killing me. I have to get a picture of this."

Lightning quickly stood up on her tiptoes again and gave Hope a kiss. Hope, slightly taken by surprise, answered it moments later. While Hope was distracted, Lightning seized the opportunity and snatched the phone out of his hand.

"Hey, that's cheating," Hope said, trying to fake a frown. He reached for the phone, but Lightning dodged him and threw it on the couch, also known as the monstrous-piece-of-furniture-which-devours-everything-it-touches couch.

Hope groaned, frowning for real this time. "Great. Now I'll never find it."

"I know," Lightning said with a smug smile. She started to brush off the pine needles still clinging to her body, making half of them fall on the floor and the other half land on Hope.

"Stop it," Hope said disapprovingly, mimicking her movement to brush the needles off his clothes.  
>Lightning smirked. She combed through her hair with her fingers a couple of times to generate a small pile of needles in her hand, and then flung them all at Hope.<p>

"Really, Light?" Hope said, glaring at her skeptically. "We're throwing pine needles now?"

"See them as Christmas presents." Lightning smiled innocently with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Merry Christmas."  
>Hope's frown disappeared almost immediately. He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're too cute for your own good." He bent down and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her waist while Lightning wound hers around his neck. "I love you," Hope whispered against her lips. "Even when you throw things at me."<p>

"I love you, too," Lightning sighed. Then, she started giggling. "I've got pine needles in my bra."

"I think I can help you with that," Hope said with a sly grin. He bent his knees a little, and Lightning let out a yelp as she was thrown over his shoulder.

"But what about the Christmas tree?" Lightning said, her giggle turning into a full laughter.

"It can wait. I think our Christmas will be merry anyway."

"Oh, really?"

"Really." Hope began to walk towards the bedroom with a still laughing Lightning dangling upside-down on his back. "I think this will be the best Christmas ever."


	2. Hope Frost and Queen Lightning

**Hope Frost and Queen Lightning of Arendelle**

Lightning was standing on the balcony outside her bedroom, looking down on the summer paradise called Arendelle. The flowers were blooming again, the trees had regained their leaves and the only trace left from her accidental winter escapade was the patch of ice she'd left for the kids in the courtyard. She watched as two boys and a girl hesitantly took their first steps onto the ice, clinging to each other's' hands as they let the sharp skids on their skates glide against the ice. They soon got the hang of it, grinning triumphantly as they swooshed back and forth the yard, their laughter echoing against the stone walls of the castle. Lightning smiled. Being a queen was tiring – especially for someone with Lightning's rusty social skills – but moments like this made it all worthwhile. The people of her kingdom were happy again, and that was all a queen could possibly wish for.

A sudden gust of wind swept over the courtyard, pushing one of the boys into the arms of the girl. They almost lost their balance, but the girl managed to straight them up, leaving them in a close embrace. They both blushed, gazing into each other's eyes. The girl was the first one to let go, and the boy almost lost his balance again.

Lightning sighed. "Are you done playing matchmaker yet, Hope Frost?" she said, her gaze still fixed on the playing kids. She could hear a chuckle coming from behind her, and knew that a silver-haired man in a blue hoodie had just materialized on the balcony.

"Not yet, your highness." Hope created another gust of wind, and Lightning could feel something tug her hair.

"Damn it, Hope, not again," Lightning groaned, trying to keep her pink locks within the strict hairdo. After fighting the cold, incorporeal hands for a few moments she decided to just give up, letting the wind release her braid from the top of her head.

"I don't understand why you keep doing that," Lightning said with a frown. She often wore her hair up in a braid wound around her head, and though she now had years of practice and it no longer took her hours to get it up that way, it was still a pretty tricky procedure.

A pair of real, physical hands lifted the braid from her back and moved it so it would fall over her shoulder instead. Hope let the braid glide through his fingers, leaving crystals of frost imbedded in it. Lightning didn't know if the crystals were accidental or not, but they made her hair glitter beautifully in the sunlight.

"It looks better this way, your highness," he said, and Lightning could hear on his voice that he was smiling.

"Please don't call me that," Lightning said, still looking down on the ground far below them.

"Why not? You're a queen now, aren't you?" Hope's hands left her hair and lingered on her shoulders. They were cold – even colder than her own – but it didn't bother her. She liked the cold, after all.

"Because it's weird. It would be like me calling you Mr. Frost or something." She leaned into his touch and sighed. "Everything changed after the coronation. The way people look at me, the way _Serah _looks at me, it's all different now. Please, Hope, don't change. I don't know what I'd do if you changed, too."

Hope turned her around, placing one hand on the small of her back and the other right beneath her chin. He pulled her closer and tilted her head back, and Lightning could have sworn she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes before he leaned in and kissed her.

"I won't change," he murmured. "I promise." His lips were cold against hers, colder than an ordinary human's lips could ever be. He was a Guardian, a protector of the world with more power than Lightning could even imagine. She didn't know exactly _what _Hope Frost was, but she presumed he was something in between a powerful spirit and a god.

Hope leaned down and kissed her again, this time more passionately. Lightning realized that an ordinary human probably would have gotten frostbites after a kiss like that, and was for once thankful for her powers and the immunity to cold they'd given her. Her powers had caused her a lot of grief over the years, but without them, she never would have caught the interest of Hope Frost. Now, she couldn't imagine a life without him. He'd been there all her life; comforting her when she was scared, holding her when she cried, calming her down when the storm inside her threatened to swallow her whole – he'd always watched over her, saving her from herself.

"I love you," she whispered, clasping the fabric of his hoodie in her hands. She knew he would have to leave her again soon. Someone somewhere would be in need, and he would have to be there, fulfilling his duties as a Guardian.

"I love you too, my queen," he answered. When Lightning furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to object, Hope hushed her by placing a finger on her lips.

"That does not qualify as a change," he said softly, already beginning to fade away. He smiled, and pressed a final kiss against her lips. "You were my queen long before you wore a crown."


	3. Partners in crime

**Written for the prompt "partners", hoperai week.**

Lightning was standing on a small balcony on the second floor of the Antwerp Diamond Centre. It was a late Saturday night, but there were still people all around the building. The building's security level was off the charts, and even though some of the most expensive jewelry in the whole world was kept in there, there had never been any attempted robberies. No one had ever been stupid enough to try. This night, that fact was about to change.

Lightning knew the plan like the back of her hand, and though it seemed to be completely bulletproof she was still a bit nervous. If a single thing went wrong, she was screwed. Majorly screwed. She shook her head and took a deep breath. _The game is on, _she thought and disabled the alarm on the balcony window.

"I'm inside the building," she whispered to her partner through her wireless headset as she climbed through the window.

"Good," Hope answered. "You're now in a stairwell that will take you down to the vault antechamber. Remember to cover the cameras with the plastic bags before you turn on any lights."

"I know."

Lightning walked carefully down the steps, covering one camera at a time. The stairwell was pitch black, but she'd studied the blueprints close enough to know the cameras' exact locations anyway. When she'd made sure all the cameras were covered, she turned on her flashlight and hurried down the stairs. The vault door – double-locked, foot-thick and made of steel – was her next obstacle. The door was protected by a magnetic field that would send out an alarm if anyone touched it, but Hope had come up with a way to get around it. Lightning pulled out the slab of aluminum Hope had given her from her backpack and taped it to the plates controlling the magnetic field. By unscrewing the bolts attaching the plates to the side of the door she could carefully move them out of the way and tape them to the opposite wall. The magnetic field was never wavered, and now it no longer monitored the door.

Two loud beeps pierced the silence, and Lightning almost had a heart attack before remembering that she was the only one who could hear the sound.

"What?" she hissed, already getting tired of the annoying signal her headset would make each time Hope opened the channel for a conversation.

"You need to get to the utility room. The vault key should be hanging in there on the wall."

"I know. We've been over this a thousand times," Lightning sighed. She opened the unlocked door next to the vault door, fetched the key and was out again in less than half a minute. She punched in the code to the vault door, a six digit combination she'd been given by Hope, and used the key to unlock it.

"I can't believe that worked… Hope, you're a genius," Lightning said with a grin.

"You're not too bad yourself, either," Hope answered. "Now you need to disable the heat sensors."

Lightning nodded and grabbed a can of hairspray from the backpack. By spraying the sensor she could hide her presence for a short while, but her body heat would warm up the room anyway sooner or later so she knew she had to work fast. She pulled out the wires to the vault's security system and covered the light sensor with tape, rendering the whole system worthless.

Not until then could Lightning finally enter the vault. She kept the lights off to make sure the light sensor didn't pick up anything and pulled out a drill from the backpack. Hope had made it specially for the boxes of the vault so it would effectively pierce through the metal. They'd earlier picked out ten of the vault's boxes, the ten with the most valuable contents, and Lightning knew exactly where to find them. She kneeled down next to the first one on the list, drilled through the metal, opened the box, emptied it in her backpack and moved on to the next box.

Her headset suddenly beeped twice again. "You remember where the boxes are, right? You don't have time to make mistakes."

"Of course I remember. Shut up, or I'll turn off the communicator."

After the fifth box, her headset beeped again. "You've been down there for ten minutes now. You need to hurry up."

"Shut up," Lightning hissed, getting even more annoyed. She continued the procedure over and over, her backpack getting heavier and heavier with diamonds and jewelry.

The headset soon beeped again. "Fifteen minutes. You need to hurry up now, okay?"

_That's it, _Lightning thought angrily and turned off the communicator. She was finally finished anyway, and all she had to do now was to get out of there. It was the easiest part of the plan since her instructions were to just leave all the things the way they were. The owners would notice the break in anyway, so Hope had decided that it wasn't worth spending time removing the proof.

Lightning ran up the stairs, climbed through the open window and jumped down from the balcony. Less than twenty minutes had passed since she entered the building, and she was now millions of dollars richer. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, her heart pounding in her chest. _We made it. We actually made it, _she thought, grinning wildly as she started running towards the van_._

Hope met her halfway as she jumped over the brick wall circling the building.

"What are you doing?" Lightning asked, looking at him in confusion. "You were supposed to wait in the car. We have to go, fast."

Hope walked towards her, his eyes shooting daggers. "You turned off the headset," he said in a low voice.

"I had to concentrate," Lightning said, unwillingly taking a step back. "You were annoying me."

Hope cornered her against the brick wall, placing a hand on each side of her head. "Don't ever do that again. Ever. I thought something had happened. Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He leaned down and gave her a rough kiss, a kiss Lightning immediately answered.

"I'm sorry, okay?" she whispered against his lips. "Hope, we still need to leave. Right now."

Hope gave her another kiss and then nodded. "You're right. Seriously though, don't ever do that again."

"I won't. Why would I? We're rich now, remember?" Lightning said with a grin, the fact finally sinking in. "No more stealing. From now on, it's just you, me and shitloads of money."

They hurried to the van and drove away, never looking back. The robbery they had just performed would later be known as one of the most genius robberies of all time, and no one ever found out who they were or where the diamonds went after that.

And Lightning and Hope, partners in crime and later partners in marriage, lived happily ever after.


	4. A thousand lifetimes

PROTECT

Prompt: "Protection"

"Are you sure about this?" Hope's assistant asked him, nervously typing on her computer. "The chaos readings are off the charts in there. This place… It's not from this world."

"I think it's from Valhalla," Hope said, barely believing his own eyes. He'd had his suspicions when they'd noticed the strange readings from within a deep cave on Pulse, but he hadn't dared begin to hope. _Lightning, are you in there? _he thought, staring at the ruins in front of him.

Centuries ago, Lightning had visited him in a dream. He could still remember every little detail from it. The picture of her in her Valkyrie armor had haunted him ever since, flashing before him every time he closed his eyes. Hope didn't know how it had happened, but Lightning had somehow become the knight of a goddess. Glowing with divine powers and clad in steel and feathers, Lightning had looked like a goddess herself.

Hope's heart was pounding in his chest. In the vision Hope had seen Valhalla, and the ruins in front of him definitely resembled the temple that used belong to the other realm.

"I'm going in alone," he stated, pulling out his airwing from its case.

"Are you insane?" his assistant exclaimed, looking up from the computer screen. "What if something happens to you? We have no idea what's in there!"

"I have an idea. Do _not _follow me. That's an order," Hope said and stepped into the pulsating cloud of chaos.

Hope had never encountered chaos so intense before. It was clouding his vision and making it hard to breathe, but he pressed on anyway, forcing his body to move forward. He slowly entered the temple ruins, his steps echoing against the thick walls of stone.

Hope looked around, trying to see through the chaos. He fixed his gaze on an object in the middle of the temple, and his heart nearly stopped when he recognized the crystal throne.

"Light," he breathed, hurrying towards it. The throne was drenched in the obscuring chaos, but even though Hope could barely see a thing he could somehow sense that someone was waiting for him up there. The throne was several meters tall, but a set of stairs materialized in front of him as he approached it. He could feel the familiar presence calling out to him, and he just _knew _it was her.

"Light!" he exclaimed, running up the stairs. "I finally found you. I finally-"

Hope reached the final step, finally seeing through the darkness. "No," he whispered, a sharp pain piercing his chest. "No, no, no, not like this…"

Lightning was sitting on the throne, looking just as goddess-like as in his dream. Hope reached out a trembling hand, confirming what he in his heart already knew was true. She was crystal; lifeless, impenetrable crystal.

"I'm here now, Light, I'm finally here… Please wake up. Please," he begged, cupping her cold, crystalized cheeks in his hands. He could sense her essence imprisoned inside the statue. He could feel her despair, her loneliness and her fear – and there was nothing he could do to help her. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her, to _save _her, but he couldn't.

"Damn it, Light," he whispered, a single tear escaping from the corner of his eye. He could feel her silent cries echo through his body, and it was breaking his heart into pieces.

Hope took a deep breath. He made a decision; a vow to himself and to the love of his life.

"I will protect you," he said, leaning his forehead against hers. "Until the day you wake up, and every day after that. Even if I have to wait a thousand lifetimes, I swear on my life that I'll protect you."

He pressed his lips against hers, another tear rolling down his cheek. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're not alone. I will protect you."

Somewhere, deep in his heart, he knew he'd reached her. The inner turmoil in her soul was slightly less chaotic, the cries a little less frantic. He caressed her cheek one last time before leaving, wading through the chaos with determined steps.

"Listen carefully," he said to his assistant as he emerged from the ruins. "I want you to remove this place from every single database. This place doesn't exist. Don't ever tell anyone about it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," his assistant said, looking confused and a bit frightened by his behavior. "May I… May I ask what you found in there?"

"No."

Hope left the cave without looking back. He would later visit the temple on his own, never telling anyone where he'd go. He would do so for centuries, keeping his promise until the end of time.

_I will protect her. _


	5. Running up that hill

For time-and-relativev-dimensions on tumblr, based on this post.

After hours and hours of scanning the area, Hope had finally found the artefact that would activate the newly found time gate. He was deadly tired, but he knew he wouldn't get any sleep if he didn't go to the gate first. Even though he barely had any hope left, he still had to try.

He slowly approached the gate, holding out the artefact. Had he been Noel or Serah, the gate would have activated immediately. From what he'd heard, even Snow was able to use time gates. Hope sighed, staring at the inactive portal. He wasn't sure why, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get the time gates to let him pass through them.

He sank to his knees, cradling the useless artefact against his chest. It was the right artefact, he was sure of that, but the time gate still wouldn't activate.

"Why?" he asked, staring at the sky. "Why am I the only one left behind?"

Ten years had passed since Cocoon fell and Lightning disappeared. For many years, he'd thought she was in crystal stasis with Fang and Vanille. Though he'd missed her more than anything, he'd still accepted her fate. Crystal stasis was supposed to be like a long, long sleep, and he'd decided that Lightning deserved to finally get some rest. Then, he'd found the Oracle Drive. It had showed him Lightning, dressed in steel and feathers, once again fighting to keep the world safe. She hadn't been resting all those years – she'd been forced to continue fighting, her future once again stolen from her. From that day, Hope had been trying to find a way into Valhalla. He would get Lightning home, no matter the cost.

Every time he found a new time gate, he tried to pass through it, but he never succeeded. He was stranded in his timeline, doomed to live his life at a natural pace.

"Damn it, Etro," he said in a low voice. "You felt pity for me once before, when you freed me from crystal stasis. I know you care about me and my companions. Please, let me trade place with Lightning. I'll be your protector for as long as you need me. If you ever gave a damn about me, take me to Valhalla."

Nothing happened. Hope closed his eyes, forcing away some unshed tears. He felt silly for thinking Etro would listen to him. Lightning was a soldier, and he was just a scientist. He'd trained with his airwing for many years, but he knew he still wouldn't stand a chance if he went up against Lightning.

He stood up, brushing dirt off his pants. His colleagues would soon be wondering where he was, and if he didn't hurry, Alyssa would try to find him herself. He was just about to leave when the artefact began to glow. His eyes widened. _Did she hear me?_ he silently wondered. He turned back to the time gate, which was now reacting to the artefact. His heart began to race. The time gate could lead him to any place at any time, but somehow he just knew it would transport him directly to Valhalla.

"Thank you," he whispered before stepping into the swirling cloud of chaos surrounding the gate. "I won't disappoint you."

Lightning was flying over the rooftops on Odin's back, hunting after Caius' Bahamut form. She would soon catch up with him, and then Caius would use his Comet spell which would cause the sky to explode in a purple rain of fire. They had done this countless of times before, playing out the same scenario over and over again. They would continue to fight until one of them gave up or the world ended, whatever came first. Lightning knew that the second alternative was the most likely one. When she'd accepted the role as Etro's champion, she'd accepted her destiny as well. She would fight for the goddess forever to atone for her sins.

When she'd almost caught up with the Bahamut, something strange happened. She noticed someone falling from the sky, shrouded in chaos. At first she thought Noel had returned, but the newcomer looked a lot more slender than the Pulsian hunter.

"Damn it," she muttered before changing course, steering Odin towards the falling figure. "I don't have time for this."

When she got closer she realized that she recognized the white and yellow uniform. Her heart skipped a beat. _He can't be here, _she thought. _It's impossible. _

In all of her visions, Hope had remained in the realm of the living. She'd watched him grow up and become a leader of the world more times than she could even remember. Not in a single timeline had she seen him make a visit to Valhalla. _Something must have changed, _she thought. _Something big._

Lightning could tell the exact moment Hope noticed her. He mouthed her name, smiling widely. She didn't know whether to be happy or terrified. He wasn't supposed to be there, yet there he was, falling from the sky while grinning like an idiot. He reached out his hand, and Lightning reached out hers. Using her superhuman strength, she managed to catch him and throw him up behind her on Odin's back.

"Hold on to something," she said before changing direction, moving towards the ground while dodging Caius' long-distance attacks. Hope wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. _I guess that works to, _she thought, unable to stop herself from smiling.

When they reached the ground, Lightning slid down from Odin's back in one graceful movement. Hope's descent was a lot less elegant. He landed on the stone floor on his hands and knees, once again reminding Lightning of Noel. Odin did a quick bow before disappearing, leaving her alone with Hope.

"Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out her hand.

Hope took it and let her help him up, still smiling. "I'm fine. Great, even. I can't believe I'm finally here."

"What are you doing here?" she continued. "How did you even get here?"

It surprised her a little that she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. She'd seen him grow in her visions, but she'd never really thought about the fact that he now was taller than her. Back then, his delicate features had given him an almost effeminate look, but those features had grown more defined over the years. He definitely looked like a man, now – a handsome one, too. _He's an adult, now, _she thought. _Technically, he's older than me. _

Hope ignored her questions. His eyes roamed over her face with great concentration, as if he was trying to memorize every single detail of it. He raised his hand and brushed away her bangs from her forehead, tucking them behind her ear.

"You look exactly the same," he whispered, caressing her cheek. "You haven't changed at all."

Lightning lowered her eyes. "Valhalla," she said. "The currents of time do not touch its shores. You don't age. You don't even sleep. You just… Exist." She smiled humorlessly. "Sometimes I'm not even sure if I'm really alive."

"Light, I'm getting you out of here," Hope said confidently. "That's why I'm here. I'm getting you home."

Lightning frowned. "I can't leave this place," she said. "I have to protect the goddess. I can never go back."

"You could, if someone took your place."

Lightning's eyes widened as she realized the true meaning of his words. "No," she said, "I won't accept it. Go home, Hope. It's not going to happen."

"It's already happening," he said softly. "Can't you feel it?"

Lightning was just about to deny it when she felt a strange sensation in her chest. It was like when the goddess had bestowed her with her powers, only the other way round. Etro's strength was pouring out of her body, transferring into its new host.

"No!" she yelled. "You can't do this! This is my punishment, my atonement. I deserve to be here. Don't-"

Hope interrupted her by kissing her hard on the lips. She gasped in surprise, giving him the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His arms went around her waist, holding her tightly. The rational part of her brain screamed at her to push him away, but instead she found herself answering the kiss. She'd never allowed herself to think about Hope that way before, but now it felt so natural – obvious, even. They were partners. Partners belonged together.

When Hope pulled back, she was nearly breathless. She looked at him quizzically, wondering why he stopped.

"I love you," he said. "I've always loved you. That's why I have to do this." He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a quick shove.

During the kiss, Hope had maneuvered her towards the time gate without her even noticing it. The gate had been inactive for years, but now it suddenly seemed to work again. Hope's shove had forced her to take a step back, making her stand right in the middle of it.

"No," she gasped, finally realizing what Hope had done. She tried to get away from the gate, but strings of chaos seemed to hold her back.

"Don't fight it," Hope said, looking at her with guilt in his eyes. "Etro is taking you home."

"Hope, no!" she screamed, pulling frantically at her immaterial bonds. Tears of fear and frustration rolled down her cheeks. Hope was sacrificing himself for her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

He gave her a melancholic smile. "Just keep your eyes front, Light. From now on, I'll watch the rear. I'll always be watching over you."

The last thing Lightning saw before the time gate pulled her into the Historia Crux was Hope being engulfed by a blinding ray of light.

When the light faded away a couple of seconds later, Hope was no longer wearing his academy uniform. His legs and torso were covered now covered in plates of steel, and a feathery cape was attached to his shoulders. He pulled out his boomerang, preparing to protect the goddess as her new champion. He had made his choice. He would fight.

By then, Lightning was already long gone.


	6. One day

Sometimes, Lightning wondered if her visions were some sort of strange gift from Etro. Other times, she wondered if they were just a cruel joke created by the universe itself. The visions always warned her of what was about to happen, but she could never get there in time to change time's course. She always tried, though. Even though she knew she couldn't save him, she always tried.

The visions didn't give her the power to change the future. All they did was to give her the opportunity to watch him die, over and over again.

Lightning forced her way out of Valhalla and through the Historia Crux as soon as she got the vision. This time, she arrived in the Academia headquarters just as the shot went off.

"Hope!" she yelled, rushing towards the source of the sound. She found Alyssa, Hope's traitorous assistant, holding a smoking gun in her hands. Hope was lying on the floor, pressing his hands against a bleeding wound in his stomach. Before Lightning could reach her, Alyssa pulled the trigger a second time, placing a bullet in Hope's chest.

"No!" Lightning screamed, her gunblade materializing in her hand.

Alyssa turned around, staring at Lightning in shock. "Who are you? How did you get h-"

She never got to finish her sentence. With one smooth movement, Lightning let her blade pierce Alyssa's heart. The first time she'd killed Hope's assistant, she'd felt guilt and remorse. Now, it didn't even bother her. In every timeline, Alyssa would sooner or later try to kill Hope – and most of the time, she succeeded. Even though Lightning could understand the girl's self-preservation, she still despised her from the bottom of her heart.

She pushed Alyssa's dead body out of the way so she could get to Hope. She sat down next to him and pulled him up on her lap, letting his head rest on her thighs.

"Stay with me, Hope," she said, sending cura spells into his chest. "Please, stay with me."

It was too late, of course – she was always too late – but she still had to try. She always had to try.

"Light...?" Hope whispered. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me." Lightning tried to fake a smile, but tears were already blurring her vision.

"Am I dreaming? Are you... Real?"

"I'm real," Lightning assured, even though she wasn't entirely convinced herself. "I'm here, Hope. I'm finally here."

Hope raised his hand, gently caressing her cheek. "I never stopped looking for you."

"I know. I saw it." She placed her hand on top of his. "I could see everything."

Hope coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His skin was getting paler and his eyes were losing focus. Lightning let out a quiet sob. He was leaving her again, and it hurt just as much as always.

"I'm dying, aren't I?" Hope said, his voice barely audible. "I finally found you, and now I'm dying. How... Unfair..."

His hand dropped from her face as he lost the power to hold it up. He coughed again. His once white uniform was turning red, stained by the blood leaking from the bullet holes in his chest and stomach. Lightning knew he didn't have long, and in a way, she was grateful for it. In some timelines, he would suffer for hours before death would finally claim him. Quicker was better, even if it meant she would get less time with him. After he'd drawn his final breath, she would be the only one in pain. He would be free.

"There's... There's different timelines, right?" Hope said. "There has to be timelines where I... Where I don't die."

Lightning nodded, tears rolling down her cheek. Hope would often come to this realization in his last moments. He was always brilliant, even when he was dying.

"And there has to be timelines... Where we're... Together."

Lightning nodded again. "I haven't found one yet, but when I do, I won't let anything stop me from making it the true one. One day, we'll be together again. All of us. I promise."

Hope smiled faintly, closing his eyes. "We'll be together."

Lightning continued to hold him after his heart stopped. She'd held his lifeless body countless of times before, but it never stopped hurting. She cried openly, allowing the grief to take over her mind. Soon, Etro would call her back to the endless shores of Valhalla. Those short moments in the realm of the living were the only times Lightning was allowed to mourn.

"I'll find a timeline where you don't have to die," she whispered. "I'll find a way to save you, even if it's the last thing I ever do."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead before getting up from the floor. The goddess was summoning her, forcing her back to the crystal throne. _One day, I will save you_, she thought, looking back at Hope one final time. _One day, we'll be together._


End file.
